The best hotels in the Maldives

Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll, Maldives

At 15 hectares, Ayada, on the southern rim of the Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll and just 30km north of the Equator, is big enough to get lost on, and the more walking or cycling about you do, the more surprises keep popping up. Take a stroll after dinner (there are six restaurants) and... hello, what's this? A wine-and-cheese station for a glass of rouge and a sliver of brie while sitting on a bench fashioned from a fishing boat. Or as you head off to Zuzuu (the kids' club), you might stumble across The White Room, a part-colonial, part-tropical folly (pillars and a thatched roof) of such kitschness, you half expect the ghost of Elvis to emerge in a white tuxedo. Or you could stop in at the Ottoman Lounge (a nod to Ayada's Turkish ownership) and settle in for a coffee with a squidge of Turkish delight and a shisha pipe. The Middle Eastern mood shimmies through the villas: a filigree lampshade here, a joss-stick there, a flounce of Turkish fabric over the bed. And there's a full-on Turkish bath in the spa. This far from Malé, there's not a hint of light pollution in the inky night skies; by day there are dive sites, snorkelling with whale sharks and (unusually for the Maldives) surf breaks.

NUMBER OF VILLAS 62 beach, 50 overwater

TRANSFER TIME A 55-minute flight from Malé to Kaadedhdhoo, then 45 minutes by speedboat

The Couture Travel Company (couturetravelcompany.com) offers seven nights' half board in a Beach Villa from £2,597 per person sharing, including flights and transfers

Laamu Atoll

The Maldives is more famous for romantic sunsets than right-handers, but Six Senses - the only resort in the southern Laamu Atoll - sets itself apart from the fly-and-flop brigade with its Yin Yang surf break. There's also paddle-boarding and catamaran sailing, alongside the usual dive boats and house-reef snorkelling. With all that splashing about, you'll hardly notice there isn't a single swimming pool on the island. Its eco-agenda means that Six Senses does the at-times-clichéd Robinson Crusoe rustic look with feeling: to discourage the use of air-con, the beds are draped in gauzy white canopies and there are wooden slats in the walls to open at night and catch the breeze; the thatched roofs are also low-slung to keep things shady and cool. Even the twig pencils on the desk are responsibly sourced. Of course, there's no shortage of comforts - a 100-plus cocktail menu at the bar, a cheese-and-wine tower, a sensational sushi restaurant - but the vibe is very laid-back compared to some of the Maldives' more flashy resorts. And nowhere more so than in the spa, where it's all too easy to hole up in one of the thatched, nest-like pods for hours on end.

NUMBER OF VILLAS 72 overwater, 25 beach

TRANSFER TIME 35 minutes from Malé by seaplane, then 15 minutes by boat

GETTING THERE Carrier (www.carrier.co.uk) offers seven nights from £2,540 per person, including Emirates flights from Heathrow and transfers.

Noonu

Eight years after the first LVMH Cheval Blanc hotel opened in Courchevel (booked solid from day one) comes beautiful Randheli in the Maldives, designed by Jean-Michel Gathy, who also created One&Only Reethi Rah. Here he's used the same large-scale, cathedral-roofed template for the beach villas, and the detailing is superb. Those insouciant little armless sofas; that Vincent Beaurin lemon-yellow sand-disc artwork, which slowly turns as the weight of perpetually falling grains of sand rotate it; the square, slate-lined pool; the de Havilland seaplane bobbing in the water; the white bicycles for getting around; the taupe espadrilles in the villas' dressing rooms. It's all so chic. In the Guerlain spa, reached by dhoni, even a glance upwards from the massage bed prompts a smile in appreciation of the exquisitely woven rattan ceiling. Some bits grate: having to press a switch to open the villa front door from the inside, for instance. But from breakfast on the terrace - molten-centred brownies, celestial with a cappuccino - to the doll-sized mouthfuls on the tasting menu at Le 1947 restaurant, named after Cheval Blanc's most famous vintage, every element confirms this as the most sensational new resort in the Maldives.

NUMBER OF VILLAS 45

TRANSFER TIME 40 minutes by seaplane from Malé

Cazenove+Loyd (cazloyd.com) offers seven nights' B&B in an Island Villa from £5,630 per person sharing, including British Airways flights from Gatwick and seaplane transfers.

Addu Atoll

Not many people know this, but down at the southern tip of this 800km island chain there's a small airport called Gan. It sits in the heart-shaped lagoon of Addu Atoll and welcomes around 10 private jets a month, along with scheduled flights from Malé. Disembarking in the unfailing warmth (it's just 60km south of the Equator), most passengers head for the five-star cocoon of Villingili. They come for the privacy, and for a sense of space unusual in the Maldives. About three kilometres long, Villingili has thousands of coconut palms and immaculately kept white sands, and every guest gets a bicycle to pedal off to the Chi spa for a coconut-milk-and-honey wrap, or to wobble home on after a lobster dinner. Villas are on the beach, over the water, and even up a tree, and there are dolphin cruises, wreck-diving, sailing in a 68ft yacht and a nine-hole golf course. But what makes Villingili really stand out is the four other islands just a short boat ride away, providing a rare insight into local life as you cycle through villages and nose about a 1960s RAF base.

NUMBER OF VILLAS 132

TRANSFER TIME 70 minutes by plane from Malé to Gan, then 10 minutes by speedboat

Turquoise Holidays (turquoiseholidays.co.uk) has a special offer of seven nights for the price of five, from £2,595 per person sharing, including half board in a Pool Villa, flights and transfers.

Exquisitely presented shellfish and wahoo are now pretty standard at five-star Maldives resorts, but here chef Sheroy Kermani takes food artistry to new heights, a fact recognised across the island nation. Seafood creations such as medallions of Maldivian reef lobster with cornichon ratatouille appear on his menus alongside thyme-marinated quail with caramalised orange. This is fusion food of dexterous ingenuity. The long, thin island (it measures 700 metres by 70) has been cleverly planted with jade trees and sea hibiscus that need only scant supplies of water, with the two restaurants, bar and infinity pool on the western side (for sunsets) and the beautiful villas on the east coast. The water is an astonishing shade of aquamarine thanks to the island's setting on one of the Maldives' largest lagoons (it's a short boat ride to the nearest reef for snorkelling), and it's calm and safe for small children. The hotel also has two separate suites for couples at the excellent Jiva spa on the southern tip of the island.

NUMBER OF VILLAS 54 overwater, 10 beach

TRANSFER TIME 15 minutes by speedboat from Malé

GETTING THERE Steppes Travel (www.steppestravel.co.uk) offers seven nights' B&B in a Lagoon Villa from £2,975 per person sharing, including international flights and transfers.

Baa Atoll

This hotel keeps on getting it right. It was the the first in these parts to cut a cool swathe, brandishing its 'no shoes, no news' eco vibe with an easy insouciance that cash-rich time-poor urbanots immediately plugged into. Its owners Sonu and Eva, now that they have sold on their Six Senses empire, continue to pour all their passion into what is essentially their island home, a properly wild tropical spot shot through with all the stylish vision they can muster. Fantastical wooden houses with teardrop pools; treetop restaurants with Noma chefs; alfresco cinema screenings fuelled by visits to the chilled chocolate room; private lunches in the gardens. It is a happy place. It doesn't matter if you're here alone to bury yourself in the spa, or with a huge pack of family wanting action: the place is big enough, imaginative enough and clever enough to nail it for everyone.

Baa Atoll

Something to keep in mind when planning a holiday in the Maldives is that the remoteness once guaranteed by these faraway atolls can no longer be taken for granted. Resorts too close to the capital, Malé, may have views across to its high-rise skyline; others may have a neighbouring hotel within earshot or clear sight. But the gloriously isolated Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru, a former coconut plantation, has no such problems. The villas are also big and well spaced for privacy, the food couldn't be healthier (catch of the day at Fuego Grill; Lebanese mezze at Al Barakat) and the spa is truly outstanding: as well as overwater treatment rooms, it has a shady Ayurvedic area in a clearing, where prayerful therapists from a Tantric Ayurvedic centre in Indonesia administer rituals lasting hours. It's also set up to provide a restorative 14- or 21-day panchakarma cleanse, which takes pounds off like nothing else. The island's Marine Discovery Centre, run by a team of biologists whose main focus is manta-ray research, could get anyone hooked on the wondrous world revealed as one sinks below the ocean surface with a snorkel or tank.

NUMBER OF VILLAS 103

TRANSFER TIME 30 minutes by seaplane from Malé

Carrier (carrier.co.uk) offers seven nights' B&B in a Beach Bungalow with pool from £3,585 per person sharing, including Qatar Airways flights from Gatwick and seaplane transfers.

South Malé Atoll

Back in the 1970s, Cocoa Island was devised as a Robinson Crusoe haven by German photographer Eric Klemm, who built a few beach huts here. Fast-forward to 2002, when it was bought by Singaporean hotelier Christina Ong. Cleverly retaining Klemm's original castaway appeal, she recalibrated it as a chic retreat, conjuring a distinctive mood of restrained elegance. The result is a sublimely stylish hotel of deftly pared-down simplicity, with most of the villas styled as local dhoni fishing boats (six newer villas follow a more sophisticated pattern). From here, at high tide, you can kick back from your private deck and drift out over a coral reef. Many guests are honeymooners who enjoy the slick room service and rarely leave their offshore world-apart. Yet the island is full of sensory delights such as the Shambhala spa, with its hydro pool and dreamy treatments including a Balinese taksu massage. And Ufaa restaurant, masterminded by Australian chef Timothy de Souza, serves refined Mediterranean and pan-Asian dishes that might include roast jobfish with braised lima beans.

North Malé Atoll

Niyama may be the newer hotel from this group, with a proper nightclub scene, but our heart belongs to Huvafen Fushi. From the vast infinity pool that lights up with twinkling stars to the island's own dance CDs in the villas, there's a puckish air of naughtiness about this place. Perhaps it's not surprising that this is the island Kate Moss tipped up to party at with her girl gang. And where she danced on the tables, others followed. Cocktails and great food are tempting (the seven bars and restaurants include a wine cellar where dinner is served by a brilliant Maldivian sommelier), but there are also plenty of opportunities to detox in the world's first underwater spa, where you can have a massage while staring meditatively at clownfish. The spa is even more spectacular at night, a glass of Champagne in hand as you watch the lit-up coral garden: the light attracts ditzy little fish, who get eaten by canny big ones, a metaphor for life to consider as you sip your fizz.

NUMBER OF VILLAS 26 overwater, 18 beach

TRANSFER TIME 30 minutes by speedboat from Malé

Kuoni (kuoni.co.uk) offers seven nights' B&B in a Beach Bungalow with plunge pool from £2,399 per person sharing, including flights from Heathrow and speedboat transfers.

The ludicrously pretty and impossibly slick Coco Privé Kuda Hithi is only available for private hire. Previously a boutique hotel, the island's main building has an enormous master suite, and there are five other villas to fill. The architecture is stunning, with massive expanses of glass to draw the outside in, and natural materials and organic shapes to echo the surroundings. Every light, heat-source and sound setting can be zapped from your personal iPad, and the attention to detail is phenomenal (the place is repainted between every stay). The kitchen is yours to use, but the chef is brilliant and will prepare anything you want (stories include a specific variety of apple being flown in at a guest's request), such as baked red snapper in aromatic herbs, and banana fritters with sweet crêpes in caramel. Sun-bleached decking around the island leads to mini jungle paths where pretty wicker baubles dangle, red flowers burst and the resident fruit bat swings from palm to palm. As a bonus, the reef is monitored by a team of experts who know each turn and turtle intimately.

NUMBER OF VILLAS Six

TRANSFER TIME 30-40 minutes by speedboat from Malé

The island sleeps up to 12 and costs from about £4,850 per night in low season. Email yourplace@cocoprive.com.

Gaafu Alifu Atoll

Set in the remote southern Gaafu Alifu Atoll, this island is so small you could stroll its white-sand circumference in 15 minutes. But what it lacks in size, it makes up for in swank: the beds are a stonking three metres wide, and the vast wardrobes indicate that most guests do not travel light and may be unfamiliar with the notion of unpacking for themselves. Each of the villas has a private pool and a mind-reading butler. The Talise spa and gym sits in the ocean at the end of an octopus-like tentacle; and 800 metres out to sea, unconnected to the island, are the Ocean Pearls: 16 overwater villas that might have been dreamt up by Ian Fleming, with a private spa, bar and Johara restaurant serving Japanese fusion food. There are another two restaurants on the island itself, Azara and Mumayaz, serving wagyu beef, foie gras and truffles to folks who order bottles of Dom Pérignon, barefoot but wearing watches worth the GDP of a small African country.

NUMBER OF VILLAS 35

TRANSFER TIME Either a 55-minute domestic flight followed by a 15-minute speedboat transfer, or a direct seaplane flight that takes 1 hour 45 minutes

North Malé Atoll

When you spot a woman in Prada getting off one of the seaplanes arriving at Malé airport, it's almost certain she'll have been staying at Reethi Rah. The hotel is deeply glamorous: guests dress up for dinner in its dimly lit, gently gleaming environs, and sometimes for breakfast, lunch and dive school, too. Super-smart, with its stone baths designedfor two, often with a royal in residence (never seen but identifiable by uniformed bodyguards sitting outside the villa), this is an immense and hugely successful hotel, with 12 man-made beaches anda busy marina where big inflatables can be hired. There's a very Zen Japanese spa where you can fully detox, and an amazing teen zone with ping-pong tables and all kinds of watersports. Since it opened, a cookery school has been added and its overwater villas now have pools, but the beach pool villas are still the best: thrillingly big and impressive, they have wardrobes and shoe space to match.

NUMBER OF VILLAS 129

TRANSFER TIME 75 minutes from Malé by yacht, or 15 minutes by seaplane

Noonu Atoll

One of the most expensive resorts in the Maldives is owned by 42-year-old Czech billionaire Jiri Smejc, who asked his villa butler at Huvafen Fushi to find him an island. He then hired a hot-shot general manager, Hans Cauchi from the Corinthia in London, installed his former butler front-of-house, and brought in 500 Czech builders for six months. The result? State-of-the-art boys' toys (not even glossy rivals Cheval Blanc or One&Only Reethi Rah have a Seabob or semi-submarine); a Clarins spa with expert therapists, an ocean-view sauna, snow room and snooze pod; a nine-hole golf course; tennis and squash courts; an extraordinary three-storey wine tower with a 6,000-bottle, £970,000 inventory (including a 1978 Romanée-Conti for £36,000); and Aragu, an overwater, open-kitchen restaurant and Champagne lounge with a French chef. Some design elements are straight out of a granny flat in Prague: suede-effect giant-weave cushions; patchwork carpets; the hanging chair and three massive vases you have to dodge to get to the bath. But the outdoor bathrooms are quite wonderful, and four-bedroom villas plus top-notch security are great for those who must factor in space for the bodyguard and long-range-lens issues. Saudi's crown prince was among the first guests to arrive when the resort opened in December. www.velaaprivateisland.com

NUMBER OF VILLAS 45

TRANSFER TIME 50 minutes by seaplane from Malé

Cazenove+Loyd (cazloyd.com) offers seven nights' B&B in a Beach Pool Villa from £6,474 per person sharing, including British Airways flights from Gatwick and seaplane transfers.

Thaa Atoll

This relative newcomer is a real asset to the smart COMO brand. Its sister hotel in the Maldives is popular with couples and this one is aimed at the next stage: parenting. At the kids' club, four- to 12-year-olds can grow crystals, fold palm leaves into parrots and learn Dhivehi (well, a few words anyway). But they're just as likely go hunting for geckos or shark spotting, in keeping with COMO's new 'Play' philosophy, which encourages children to take charge. It's all about boosting confidence. For teens, there are plenty of watersports and desert-island hijinks plus getting down with dad at family yoga sessions if they (or you) are up for it. With shady gardens and plunge pools, and just a few steps from the sand, the beach villas are best for families. There's a natural, understated vibe throughout, and children won't eat this healthily anywhere in the archipelago: coconut, cinnamon and almond porridge for breakfast, lentil cakes with crushed avocado for tea. But really the joy of Maalifushi lies in its sensational spa, where parents are likely to disappear and emerge with a much higher patience threshold. Which let's face it, means a marvellously relaxing time for everyone.

NUMBER OF VILLAS 32 overland, 33 over water

TRANSFER TIME Approximately a one hour flight via the Island's sea plane from Malé

Dhaalu Atoll

The clever Per Aquum group has clocked that the honeymooners at Huvafen Fushi may want to return to the Maldives with some additions to their party. That's where sister hotel Niyama comes in. Staff smile at sticky fingers, scoop up tantrummy toddlers and debate football teams with teens. The new island, Play, has at its heart a gleaming kids' club, run by an unflappable Scott Dunn-trained team. With circus-top-themed rooms, a marathon of activities, the softest sand-floored playground and a water park, it's a spirited hideaway for children, a refuge from the equatorial sun. For parents of smaller ones, the fact that the club takes kids from 12 months old is worth ordering another gin and tonic for. For those with tech-obsessed tweens, there's a separate games zone with Xboxes, computers and an awesome pair of simulator rooms: one for cinema screenings and one with kit for golf, shooting and goal-scoring practice. And, of course, there are the beaches, the snorkelling, banana boats and dhoni trips. There's not a chance in hell anyone will get bored.

NUMBER OF VILLAS 48 Villas on the Play island

TRANSFER TIME A 45-minute seaplane journey from Malé to the island

Carrier (+44 161 492 1358; carrier.co.uk) offers seven nights from £6,230 per family full board, including flights and transfers

North Ari Atoll

Arrival by seaplane from Malé sets the tone; and from white-tented spa to swim-up pool bar, this resort encapsulates 'jet-set glamour'. The 78 villas offer all the mod cons you could possibly want plus plunge pool, sundeck, wine fridge (as well as mini bar) and barbecue station. Over-water accommodation features glass floors and beach villas are equipped with muslin-draped daybeds that - cleverly - can be cantilevered over the pool. The resort is also big on action, with diving, kite-surfing and SeaBobs (which zoom underwater like dolphins). And there's a subterranean party place, too, with DJs spinning at the resort's 15 Below bar.

South Malé Atoll

The accommodation at this small and very tranquil resort is in 33 chic over-water villas, each with a generous private deck. So you gaze out at views of turquoise sea and fishing boats and when you feel more energetic you simply step down into the water; a coral reef teeming with marine life is a very short swim away. Of course, diving and watersports are available, but staff say most guests prefer to disappear into a world of their own. When they emerge, the tiny island offers an extensive Shambala spa and hydrotherapy pool at one end, while at the other there's an infinity-edged pool, bar, and restaurant serving Maldivian, Mediterranean and Asian cuisine. Sitting out on the soft white sands on this side of the island and watching the sunset soon becomes an addictive evening ritual.

South Ari Atoll

Two years ago a major refit took Lily Beach significantly upmarket and it became a luxury all-inclusive resort. The popularity of this combination shows little sign of diminishing: with 119 villas it is big enough to offer plenty of organised entertainment while still sufficiently small to retain a personal touch. The accommodation is sleek, and the complimentary facilities include two kids' clubs, catering for three- to six-year-olds and seven- to 12-year-olds. Activities there range from bug hunting to digging for treasure - and finding it.

Destinology (0800 210 0422; destinology.co.uk) offers seven nights from £8,159 for a family of four (two adults, two children under 12), with all-inclusive accommodation

Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa, North Malé Atoll[/b] For all its glamour, a mood of laid-back friendliness is maintained at this 96-room resort and staff offer a particularly warm welcome to families, whether arranging beach picnics or excursions in dhoni fishing boats. The spa offers junior treatments ('Kuda sole' minty reflexology; 'miracle mud mask' facials); complimentary baby and children's toiletries are provided; the Reef Club (for Italian cuisine) and the Baraabaru (for Indian) have children's menus; and two clubs cater for small children and for teens. Best of all is the surf school, to which beginners, whether children or adults, are encouraged to go.

GETTING THERE Elegant Resorts (01244 897538; elegantresorts.co.uk) offers seven nights from £8,680 for a family of four (two adults and two children under 12) based on a November departure

Lhaviyani Atoll

Children get special treatment here, and can be whisked off to the Kids' Club (for four- to 11-year-olds), complete with junior-size windsurfers, or the cool Club One for 12- to 17-year-olds. There are also abundant options for all the family, from beach volleyball to table soccer. Set in an otherwise little-visited area of the archipelago, Kanuhura has 100 contemporary-chic villas, each with a butler who will organise anything from a highchair to a desert-island excursion.

Seasons (01244 202000; seasons.co.uk) offers seven nights from £9,695 per family of four (two adults, two children under 12)

North Malé Atoll

Small and perfectly formed, Vabbinfaru is widely regarded as one of the best-looking islands in the Maldives and has an ideal ratio of beach to greenery, and a vibrant coral reef. The 48-villa resort here has won accolades for its marine-biology lab, the first of its kind to be run by a hotel group. Guests can take part in programmes such as reef and species checks with in-house divers and monitor the ongoing conservation of green sea turtles in the locality.

North Malé Atoll

Rustic-chic Soneva Gili is the Maldives' ultimate Robinson Crusoe retreat, its 45 water villas all thatch, decking and shutters. The mood of serenity and luxury becomes especially dreamy at the Six Senses over-water spa where glass panels beneath the massage tables add another dimension to the sensory experience. At this subtly finessed complex there's also a gym, a relaxation room with fabulous views and an Ayurvedic doctor on hand; treatments range from five-hour spa journeys to 60-minute fusion massages using a mix of techniques from Thai and Swedish to aromatherapy.

North Malé Atoll

Angsana hotels are younger, funkier sisters to their Banyan Tree siblings, and this 45-villa resort exudes a gentle, eco-chic vibe. It has a large and very well-regarded spa, but the resort's really major attraction is the reef that encircles the island, widely held to be the best house reef in the Maldives. It is easily accessible from the beach and its stunning range of coral supports an enormous variety of marine life from schools of snapper and triggerfish to moray eels. White-tip reef shark are often seen at the dramatic drop-off, where the reef floor abruptly descends out of sight.

Haa Alifu Atoll

Set in a particularly undeveloped part of the Maldives' northernmost atoll, this aptly named resort has 43 secluded villas set between trees and abundant greenery. The underwater world at this barefootchic resort is especially unspoilt. The guided snorkelling trips of the house reef are impressive but it is the diving, operated by Meridis Dive, that is truly spectacular. At least 20 nearby dive sites have been surveyed including two ship wrecks and an area where on average 15 turtles are sighted per dive.

South Malé Atoll

You'll be conveniently close to Malé and the airport here, but the quality of the coral around the large lagoon is excellent and the waters are rich in fusiliers, turtles, spotted eagle rays and more. Thai-owned Anantara operates two properties on facing islands more or less as one resort. Together, Anantara Veli and larger, more luxurious Dhigu have 160 villas and seven restaurants, as well as one of the most go-ahead dive centres in the Maldives. Aquafanatics runs a wide range of courses from beginners to deepwater diving and visits around 25 sites nearby as well as others further afield.

South Ari Atoll

The advantages of size are wonderfully apparent here. The resort is spread over two islands linked by bridge and has 150 villas and seven impressive restaurants, including Vilu Restaurant (Asian-Mediterranean) and Koko Grill (Japanese). Most striking are the underground Wine Cellar, with a degustation menu to complement tastings, and the Ithaa Undersea restaurant which does exactly what it suggests: you dine 16ft below sea level looking out on to shoals of fish.

North Malé Atoll

After extensive refurbishment this 62-villa resort reopened last year as one of the Taj group's new-look affordable five-stars. There's no sense of skimping on style or the finer aspects of life here, with pleasingly spacious rooms, two restaurants for formal dining and more casual fare, and extensive watersports and diving. The charming staff have a real can-do enthusiasm.

North Malé Atoll

This understated, elegant resort has a loyal following. Among its most notable attractions are the cuisine (seafood at Cayenne Grill, Mediterranean at white-tented Lighthouse, informal meals at Lime) and the diving: new this year are innovative eco-dive courses.